PHIL 1010-002

Title: Introduction to Philosophy

Professor: Raffaele Florio

KN 6018

Tuesdays 6-8:30

Email: [email protected]

Website: www.geocities.com/thehumanitiesprof

Office: KN 3102

Phone: 825-2451

Cell #: 263-8182

Required Text: Stumpf and Abel’s Elements of Philosophy 4^th edition

 

The unexamined life is not worth living.  Know thyself.

-Socrates

 

Purpose- To gain exposure to various branches of philosophy in order to better understand our own beliefs and traditions.  We will embark on a journey toward wisdom which is illusive.  Philosophy is the act of seeking that wisdom. Heavy focus will fall upon issues regarding social justice, globalization, environmental concerns, and diversity of beliefs.

 

Philosophical Elements Considered:

Epistemology, Religious Studies, Metaphysics, Personal Identity, Freedom, Ethics, and Political Philosophy.

 

Grading- Attendance, Quizzes, Exams, Written assignments

 

Attendance- You must attend class to be successful.  Your attendance will count for a grade which will be averaged in with your others.  (For example, if the class is scheduled to meet 15 times and you missed 3 you will receive a 12/15 for you attendance grade which equates to an 80.)  HOWEVER if you miss more than 25% of the course you will not receive a passing grade regardless of your overall average.  Four tardy arrivals will count as an absence.

 

Quizzes will be administered as needed and will come directly from reading.

 

Exams- Midterm and Final Exams will come from readings and notes.

 

Assignments-

 

Outlines- One TYPED outline will be handed in for each part of the course. Outlines will receive a ü-,ü or ü+.  Student will choose one of several questions to address. Questions are found at the end of each of the reading assignments.

 

Essays- Two of the outlines will be converted into full essays.  These essays must be TYPED and follow the structure established in the outline. The outline should be stapled to the back of the essay.  The essay will be graded on content and format.  

 

Movie (extra credit):  Choose a movie that deals with a contemporary philosophical issue and analyze it from at least three ethical perspectives.  Write an essay of at least 5 paragraphs describing your analysis. 

 

Miscellaneous Rules-

Cell Phones- Turn them off! DO NOT ANSWER A PHONE DURING CLASS!

 

Plagiarism- WILL NOT BE TOLERATED! Result will be a failing grade and disciplinary action. Any material that you use from another source, even if it is the text book, must be appropriately cited.  Papers that are copied directly from the internet will be turned into the Dean.

 

Schedule (Subject to change)

 

Please go to the course website (accessed through www.geocities.com/thehumanitiesprof) to download the appropriate outlines for each lecture.

 

1-19- Introduction: What is Philosophy?

 

Part 1   Epistemology

1-24     Opinion and Knowledge

                        Plato   

1-26     Knowledge through Reason

                        Descartes        

1-31     Knowledge through Experience

                        Hume

2-2       Experience Structured by the Mind

Knowing and Doing

                        James

2-4       Knowledge and Emotion

Jaggar

*First Outline Due 2-7

 

Part 2   Religious Studies

2-7       Proving the Existence of God

                        Anselm

                        Aquinas

                        Dawkins          

2-9       Justifying Belief

            Pascal

            James

Freud

2-14     Confronting the Problem of Evil

            Mackie

*Second Outline Due 2-16

 

Part 3   Metaphysics

2-16     Idealism and Materialism

                        Armstrong

2-21     The Mind-Body Problem

                        Descartes

                        Searle

2-23     Physics and Metaphysics

                        O’Hear

*Third Outline Due 2-28

           

Part 4- Personal Identity and Immortality

2-28     Personal Identity

                        Hume, Pali Canon

            Immortality

                        Plato

*First Essay Due 3-2

*Fourth Outline Due 3-14

           

Part 5- Freedom to Choose

3-2       Libertarianism

                        Taylor

3-14     Determinism

                        Hospers

                        Skinner

3-16     Compatibilism

                        Radhakrishnan

*Fifth Outline Due 3-21

 

Part 6- Philosophy of Ethics

3-21     Fulfilling Human Nature

            Aristotle

3-23     Loving God

            Augustine

3-28     Following Natural Law

            Doing One’s Duty

3-30     Maximizing Utility

                        Mill

4-4       Turing Values Upside Down

                        Nietzsche

4-6       Creating Ourselves

            Sartre

4-11     Hearing the Feminine Voice

*Sixth Outline Due 4-13

*Second Essay Due 4-18

 

Part 7- Political and Social Philosophy

4-13     The State as Natural

                        Plato

                        Aristotle

4-18     The State as a Social Contract

                        Locke

4-20     Liberty of the Individual

                        Mill

            Alienation in Capitalism

                        Marx

4-25     Justice and Social Trust

                        Nozick

4-27     Women in Society

                        Wollstonecraft

                        De Beuvoir

May 2- Conclusion- The Value of Philosophy